Time wounds all heals
By Radar
simon_mcnestrie@hotmail.com
-----------
DISCLAIMER:
These characters belong to CLAMP! This is a Yuri story so if it offends you please don't read!
‘Tomoyo-mama! I’m home!’ she called out when she shut the door.
‘Hi Kumiko-chan! How was your day?’ Tomoyo asked when Kumiko walked into the living room.
‘Mine was great, but Sakura-papa acted strangely after recess!’ Kumiko said.
‘Strangely? How so?’ Tomoyo asked, very curious. ‘She got really moody.. sometimes she got angry for no reason!’ Kumiko said.
She was scared, very scared, Tomoyo could tell that much but why did Sakura go into that mood?
Then the door slammed shut, followed by heavy footsteps up the stairs followed by another door slamming shut.
She smiled at her daughter. Her smiled grew when she noticed she had calmed slightly.
‘Don’t worry Kumiko-chan, I’ll find out what’s wrong with Sakura!’ Tomoyo said.
Tomoyo lightly set little Nadeshiko on her chair before walking to the door.
‘Do you have homework?’ she asked when she got to the door.
‘Hai! Hikaru-chan is coming over so we can study together!’ Kumiko said smiling brightly.
Tomoyo smiled, Kumiko was very fond of Hikaru.
If she hadn’t been in her daughters’ shoes herself all those years before, she wouldn’t have suspected that Kumiko was in love with her best friend.
‘Must run in the family!’ she thought.
‘Hello Onii-chan!’ Nadeshiko said, waving to her older sister. Kumiko waved back, before putting her bag down.
‘Why’s Sakura-papa upset Onii-chan?’ Nadeshiko asked. ‘I don’t know Nadeshiko-chan! But I’ll go and find out!’ Kumiko said.
She gave Nadeshiko her latest colouring book before leaving to see what had upset Sakura.
‘Arigatou Onii-chan!’ she heard Nadeshiko say before she closed the door and quickly ran up the stairs to her parents’ bedroom.
She noticed she wasn’t that far behind Tomoyo.
As she approached the door to the room she shared with Sakura, she heard a raised voice.
A voice that belonged to her beloved Sakura, and a loud thud that could only have been something heavy hitting the floor.
When she opened the door, she gasped when she saw the mess Sakura had caused.
She then noticed Sakura standing near what had been their bed, completely out of breath. ‘Sakura.. are you ok?’ she asked.
‘Peachy!’ was Sakura’s reply. Looking up she noticed Tomoyo slowly walking towards her, carefully avoiding the mess.
‘Are you really ok Sakura?’ she asked. ‘If you were I doubt that our bedroom would be a war zone!
Looking into Sakura’s eyes she realised what had happened.
Anger and hatred were the dominant emotions in her eyes along with something else.. pain. Anger and pain she knew well.
‘Today he showed up.. as a temporary replacement teacher!’ she whispered, her voice laced with anger, when Tomoyo had convinced her to sit down.
‘It couldn’t be him Sakura.. he left town years ago!’ Tomoyo said, lightly rubbing her Sakura’s back.
‘It was him! I’d know him anywhere!’ she yelled. Tomoyo was shocked, never had Sakura yelled at her.
Then she looked into Tomoyo’s stormy blue eyes, they were filled with shock and she instantly regretting raising her voice to her pale wife.
‘I.. I’m sorry Tomoyo! I didn’t mean to yell at you!’ Sakura whimpered, before breaking into tears.
Tomoyo felt her heart break in two. She hadn’t seen Sakura cry or act like this for years. And she knew what Sakura was going through, she felt the same way. ‘It’s ok Sakura-chan! Just let them come!’ she whispered, lightly resting Sakura’s head on her lap.
Softly whispering comforting things to Sakura they stayed that way for hours, not noticing a very bewildered Kumiko looking on wondering what had caused her papa to act like that.
‘She’s crying! I’ve never seen Sakura-papa cry before!’ she thought. And it was true, she’d never seen her papa cry before.
Quietly she closed the door to her parents’ room and slowly made her way to the living room to wait for Hikaru, all the time wondering what had caused Sakura to cry.
That night Sakura never slept. She kept tossing and turning.
Fortunately the next day was a Sunday so she didn’t have to go and teach.
Slowly she sat up and looked at Tomoyo’s sleeping form.
‘I’m so sorry about what I said to you yesterday!’ she whispered, lightly stroking Tomoyo’s long dark hair.
Then she looked at the alarm clock. 5.30. She sighed and slowly got out of bed.
‘I need a drink!’ she thought, picking up a dressing gown
As she closed the door, she heard giggling coming from Kumiko’s room. She passed Nadeshiko’s room and looked in.
‘Sound asleep!’ she thought happily. Slowly she approached the door and looked thought the keyhole.
‘They’re up early!’ she thought.
Absently she thought about the time Tomoyo had taught her to kiss someone. She sighed softly.
At the time she hadn’t thought she’d be kissing the pale girl. But now she was glad Tomoyo had been the one to teach her.
‘Are you ready Kumiko-chan?’ Hikaru asked, slowly leaning closer.
‘H.. Hai Hikaru-sensei!’ Kumiko stuttered. Hikaru smiled at her best friends pet name for her.
This was going to be her first kiss, and it was from her best and most special friend. Could it have been any better?
Hikaru giggled softly but didn’t slop leaning forward. Their lips met lightly for a second before Hikaru leaned away.
Kumiko blushed brightly, she was embarrassed as she wanted to feel her friends lips against hers again.
‘Learning how to kiss someone is fun!’ she thought, blushing even brighter. ‘Arigatou Hikaru-chan!’ she whispered.
Hikaru smiled at her.
‘If you want.. I can teach you other ways of kissing someone..’ she said as a light blush appeared on her cheeks.
‘You would?’ Kumiko asked, ‘I’d really like that!’
Slowly she leaned closer and lightly pressed her lips to Hikaru’s, surprising the other girl for a second.
When Kumiko leaned back she smiled slightly. ‘Could this be any better?’ she asked herself.
Her special person had just kissed her. ‘I just wish we could do it again and again!’ she thought happily.
‘I hope we can!’ Her smile grew slightly at that thought.
Smiling at the other girl, she wrapped her arms around Hikaru’s shoulders and tightly hugged her.
Sakura smiled slightly at what she had just seen. She remembered one night when Tomoyo had fallen asleep.
She had stayed up to watch her sleep, and felt the urge to kiss her.
She went on it and found herself looking at her best friend in a different light from then on until the day they married and after.
Then she knocked on the door and waited for an answer.
‘Come in..’ a voice said from behind the door.
When she walked in she noticed that Hikaru hadn’t moved from her place on Kumiko’s bed but was blushing brightly.
‘I saw the light and I just wanted to know if either of you would like something to drink!’ she said, smiling slightly.
‘No thank you Sakura-san!’ Hikaru said politely, she was sure that Sakura had seen them kiss.
‘Same for me Sakura-papa!’ Kumiko said, smiling slightly. ‘Ok!’ Sakura said before leaving the room.
As soon as her head hit her pillow, she fell into a light sleep. Hikaru looked at her and sighed.
‘Just wait a few more years Kumiko-chan! I promise I’ll tell you how much I love you!’ she whispered, lightly kissing the other girl on the lips.
Then she lay down and also fell into a light sleep.
‘What is there to drink?’ she asked herself as she looked in the refrigerator.
She shut the door, picked up a glass and walked over to the sink.
Turning on the tap, she waited for the water to cool down and placed the glass under it.
When she glass was full she turned off the water and sat at the table.
‘Are you ok Sakura?’ a soft voice asked her. Turning she can face to face with Tomoyo.
‘Peachy!’ was all Sakura said before she turned back to her glass.
‘Sakura.. how did you feel when.. when you saw him again?’ Tomoyo asked when she sat down.
‘Like I wanted to do to him what he did to me and I didn’t even care who saw me do it!’ Sakura whispered.
Tomoyo watched her as she explained her feelings at that time.
Being an expert on anything to do with Sakura or just on Sakura herself, she knew Sakura was ashamed at what she had felt.
‘But you did nothing!’ Tomoyo whispered. Sakura nodded.
‘You know what.. the fact that you did nothing proves that you’re a better person then him!’ Tomoyo whispered, lightly wrapping her arm around Sakura, leaning into her.
‘Tomoyo-mama.. What happened Sakura-papa?’ another voice asked.
They turned around and saw Hikaru and Kumiko standing in the doorway. Tomoyo looked at Sakura, before she stood up.
‘Tell them Tomoyo.. they deserves to know!’ Sakura whispered, before leaving the kitchen.
‘What about you Sakura?’ Tomoyo asked.
‘Bed!’ was Sakura’s reply. She left the room, not wanting to hear someone else explain what had happened to her.
‘You may want to sit down for this!’ Tomoyo said, her voice sounding even softer then usual.
‘You know in school you’re told in school that homosexuality isn’t natural!
And not everyone you’ll meet will accept you if you’re homosexual even if it’s the person who’s homosexual! At first not even Sakura could accept the fact that she’s a lesbian, but she eventually came to accept it! When she first realised she was attracted to women she was really confused! At the age of 12 or 13 many people would be! At the time she was doing a barely able to keep her preferences a secret, from herself and from everyone else.’
Tomoyo paused to see if what she was saying had registered with the 2 girls. They nodded slowly.
‘Well, towards the end of middle school, Sakura had admitted to herself that she was more attracted to the girls at the school than the boys. When she knew she confided her feelings in me and I promised I wouldn’t tell anyone! But somehow a few did find out!’
another pause. Tomoyo sighed as the memories of that time ran though her mind.
‘What happened Tomoyo-mama?’ Kumiko asked.
‘Well, just as Sakura left the school by herself, she was leaving late as she was really studying for a big test, and those few who didn’t approve of her preferences chased her and ended up...’
she stopped when she noticed the tears flowing down her cheeks.
‘She fought back but ended up being beaten up with a broken arm and leg. When I found her.. she kept trying to stand but..’
Tomoyo whispered. When she looked at the girls she noticed that they were similarly affected.
She remembered what Sakura looked like when she had found her.
Blood pooling around her, curled up in a ball, crying heavily.. falling flat whenever she tried to stand.
‘She ended up in hospital and almost dropped out of school!’ Tomoyo whispered.
‘The leader of that little gang told her not to go anywhere near them or they’d do it again!’
It was at that point the girls stood up and ran into Tomoyo’s arms.
Just by this action she knew how badly they were affected by what had happened to Sakura.
‘No one should have to go though it or hear about it!’ Tomoyo thought.
‘I took care of her while she was getting better.. that was when we got together and I swore nothing like that would ever happen again!’
Kumiko sniffled before looking up. Tear strained eyes met tear strained eyes.
‘And Sakura-papa met that man again?’ Kumiko asked, as she and Hikaru stepped back.
‘Hai and meeting him again has brought back everything that happened to her!’
‘But why did he do that to Sakura-san, Tomoyo-san?’ Hikaru asked.
‘I don’t know Hikaru-chan! Maybe he was scared of being known as someone who went to school with a lesbian or maybe he did it to make himself feel big and powerful after beating up a girl who was different.’ Tomoyo replied shaking her head.
‘But she’s always kept it inside her! And its been eating away at her
At times she thought it was a kind of punishment for not being normal!’ Kumiko and Hikaru looked at each other.
‘How can she not be normal Tomoyo-san?’ Hikaru asked.
‘I don’t know, but it’s what she had thought for years!’ Tomoyo replied, sighing heavily.
‘Can we go and see if Sakura-papa’s feeling better Tomoyo-mama?’ Kumiko asked
‘Hai! Let’s go see!’ Tomoyo replied, smiling as she led them towards a spare room.
‘What’s Sakura-papa doing in here?’ Kumiko asked.
Tomoyo opened the door to show Sakura punching a punching bag bare knuckled.
‘This! She does it whenever it get to much for her to handle!’ Tomoyo replied.
Minutes later Sakura stopped punching and looked at her knuckles.. they were bloody.
That sight was all Kumiko needed to see before she ran into Sakura’s waist and tightly hugged her.
‘Kumiko-chan? What’s the matter?’ she asked when she heard her young daughter start crying.
Kumiko moved away and wiped her tears.
‘Just point that big meanine out Sakura-papa because me and Hikaru-chan’ll..’ she said, grabbing her shirt.
‘Do nothing!’ Sakura said, cutting her daughter off. ‘But Sakura-papa..’ Kumiko whimpered.
‘No Kumiko-chan! If I let you go and do whatever it is your planning, you could get hurt!’ Sakura said, smiling slightly.
‘And I don’t want you to get hurt Kumiko-chan!’
‘Ok’ Kumiko whispered, holding Sakura’s shirt even tighter. She smiled and kissed the top of her daughters’ head.
‘Good! Now how about later today we go out somewhere?’ Sakura asked. ‘Where are we going Sakura-papa?’ Kumiko asked.
‘You and Hikaru-chan decide!’ Sakura replied.
‘Yey!’ the girls called out before running out of the room, going to plan their day out. Tomoyo and Sakura smiled at each other
When Tomoyo looked in to her auburn haired wife’s eyes, she realised that it was all a façade just to stop the girls from worrying about her.. but Tomoyo knew better.
‘You might have fooled them Sakura-chan.. but you can’t fool me so easily!’ she said.
‘I meant it when I said that I didn’t want them going after him because they could get hurt and that we’d be going out and that they could choose!’ Sakura said, smiling slightly.
A genuine smile.
‘Good I thought you were going to stew in that mood of yours!’ Tomoyo said, wrapping her arm around Sakura’s waist.
Sakura laughed slightly. She was still in her mood, she just didn’t want to show it as she knew it would upset Tomoyo, their daughter and her friend.
The next day they slowly walked to school. All the way Kumiko held Sakura’s hand until they reached the school gates.
‘Have a good day Kumiko-chan!’ Sakura said as Kumiko rushed off to her homeroom.
‘I will Sakura-papa!’ Kumiko replied, before she entered the building.
‘Good morning Daidouji-san!’ a voice came said from behind her. She turned around and there he was.
‘Good morning!’ she replied before she entered the building and briskly walked to the teachers lounge.
When she got there, she found her old friend Rika sitting at her usual desk. ‘Are you ok Sakura?’ she asked.
‘Just peachy!’ Sakura replied. ‘What happened?’ Rika asked. ‘He’s here!’ Sakura said, resting her head on her desk.
Noticing Rika’s confusion she decided to clarify things. ‘Him!’ she muttered. ‘Him?’
‘Him! The one who did..’ Sakura whispered. ‘Him!’ Rika whispered. Sakura nodded slightly.
‘Hello Kino-san!’ Rika said, looking up. Sakura’s eyes shot open, but never moved her head.
‘I think there’s something wrong with Daidouji-san, she looks a little paler than normal!’ he said.
‘Like you’d know what’s normal!’ Sakura said suddenly. Rika and Kino looked at her for a moment.
‘What’s wrong Daidouji-san?’ he asked.
‘I had a run in with someone I’d rather never have seen again!
Someone who, with a small gang, beat the living crap out of me breaking my arm and leg in the process!’ Sakura said, staring at him.
‘Then they left me laying on the ground as they walked away laughing!’
The replacement teacher looked at her for a moment. Her face was familiar but he couldn’t put a name to it.
‘Do I know you?’ he asked. ‘You should! I’m Sakura Kinomoto!’ Sakura said. ‘You!’ he whispered.
‘Yes! You left me there whilst you and your friends laughed and walked away leaving me!’ she yelled.
‘Do you know what it’s like to lay in the dirt, bleeding for every cut in my skin, from my lips, from my nose and having 2 broken limbs?
Do you know what it’s like to be laying on a hospital bed wondering if it was your fault that some idiots beat you up for being homosexual?’ she asked.
He shook his head.
‘You hurt my papa!’ a soft voice said from behind them. When they looked, there was Kumiko and Hikaru standing there, books in their arms shocked by what they had heard.
‘You hurt my papa!’ Kumiko whispered again. ‘Who are you?’ Kino asked.
‘I’m her daughter! My name is Kumiko Daidouji!’ Kumiko said, slowly walking up to the much taller teacher.
‘Why’d you hurt me papa like that?’ she asked, tears forming in her eyes.
‘Because I was more of an idiot back then! I was so scared of something I knew nothing about!’ he replied.
‘You didn’t have to do that to her!’ Kumiko yelled, dropping the book.
Then with one swift kick, she nailed him right in the shin.
‘Kumiko-chan, please let’s go!’ Hikaru said, gently pulling her friends arm.
‘No!’ Kumiko replied, kicking his shin again
‘Leave him be Kumiko-chan!’ Sakura said softly, taking Kumiko by her shoulders, gently pulling her away from Kino.
‘But Sakura-papa..’ Kumiko whimpered, tears slowly making their way down her now pale cheeks.
‘He hurt you! He shouldn’t be here!’ Kumiko said, as Sakura wiped her tears away. Sakura smiled slightly.
‘You’re a brave girl Kumiko-chan! Not many people would kick a teachers shin like that!’ Sakura whispered.
‘But I think you should get to class.. I’ll be there in a few minutes!’ Kumiko smiled slightly.
‘Ok Daidouji-sensei!’ Kumiko replied. The guise of teacher and student coming up.
She hugged Sakura before picking her book up and walking out of the door with Hikaru.
‘She’s right! I shouldn’t be here!’ he said. ‘I’ll leave!’ Before she could even turn to face him, he was gone.
‘I’m going after him!’ Sakura said, running after him.
‘Hey.. before you go tell me why!’ Sakura said when she caught up to him. ‘Why what?’ Kino asked.
‘Why do did what you did to me!’
‘I told you! I was an idiot back then and scared of something I knew nothing about!’ he replied.
‘That might had been enough for my daughter but not me!’ Sakura yelled.
‘I did it because I was scared! I was scared that you might go after my younger sister and make her into one of.. your kind!’ he said softly.
‘My kind?’ she asked. ‘Your kind of person!’ he replied. Sakura laughed slightly.
‘How? It’s not something you catch!’ Sakura said. ‘I.. know that now!’ he said, his shoulders slumping.
‘Look.. I don’t expect you to forgive me now or ever.. I just want you to know that I’m so sorry that we.. I did those things to you!’ he whispered.
‘Get back into that school.. you have students to teach!’ Sakura said, before walking back into the school.
Kino turned around and looked at the school, just catching Sakura turning around.
‘You have a job to do don’t you?’ she asked, walking into the door. He nodded and jogged back into the school.
‘Daidouji-sensei! Are you ok?’ Hikaru asked, when she saw Sakura approach their classroom.
‘Hai! I feel a bit better now Hikaru-chan!’ she replied. ‘Good cos Kumiko-chan was worried about you!’ Hikaru replied.
‘And I don’t want Kumiko-chan worried or upset!’ Sakura smiled at the young girl.
‘That’s because you get worried or upset when she is.. right?’ Sakura asked.
Hikaru nodded her eyes not daring to break contact with Sakura’s.
‘You’re a good friend Hikaru-chan!’ Sakura said, lightly patting the girls’ shoulder.
‘If you ever make Kumiko-chan upset or worried again..’ Hikaru said softly.
‘You’ll be there for her and cheer her up!’ Sakura whispered. Hikaru nodded again.
‘Besides I don’t want face your wrath if I do!’ Sakura whispered. Hikaru giggled softly.
‘Now let’s get class started!’ Sakura said as she slid the door opened. Hikaru walked into the classroom followed by Sakura.
‘Is Sakura-papa ok Hikaru-chan?’ Kumiko asked.
‘Hai! And if you’re worried about her again come and see me! I’ll try to help!’ Hikaru whispered.
‘Ok! Arigatou Hikaru-chan!’ Kumiko replied, smiling brightly. ‘She makes her so happy!’ Sakura thought.
‘I hope they tell each other!’ With that thought the lesson started and everything that they had worried about faded away.
YEARS LATER
‘Hi Kumi-chan!’ a voice called out from behind them. Before she could turn around a pair of hands covered her eyes.
‘Guess who!’
‘Could it be my very best friend and adorable girlfriend?’ she asked.
The hands vanished and she was turned around to face Hikaru. ‘Nope just me!’ Hikaru replied giggling.
Kumiko giggled herself before leaning closer and lightly kissed the other girl.
‘Tomoyo-mama is Onii-chan and Hikaru-san feeling ok? They’ve been acting really strange!’ Nadeshiko said, looking at her mother completely confused
Tomoyo smiled at her very confused daughter. ‘They’re fine Nadeshiko-chan! They’re just extremely happy!’ Tomoyo said.
‘Like you and Sakura-papa are?’ Nadeshiko asked.
‘Hai!’ Nadeshiko smiled. ‘I hope I’ll be like that one day!’ Nadeshiko said.
‘Hi Megumi-chan!’ she called out having spotted her best friend and now her significant other half.
‘Hello Nadeshiko-chan, Tomoyo-san!’ Megumi replied. Tomoyo looked at Sakura and her smile grew. Sakura giggled slightly.
‘What’s happened to Hikaru-san and Kumiko-san?’ Megumi asked. ‘They’re really happy!’ Nadeshiko said.
‘Nadeshiko-chan could I ask you something?’ Megumi asked.
‘Anything!’ Nadeshiko replied. Megumi gently took Nadeshiko’s hand and slowly led her away from her friends’ parents.
‘Have you told your parents yet?’ Megumi asked. ‘Not yet!’ Nadeshiko said softly. She turned her head away.
‘I’m just disappointing her by not telling them!’ she thought sadly. Megumi saw her girlfriends’ sadness and sighed softly.
‘It’s ok Nadeshiko-chan! You can tell them when you’re ready!’ Megumi said. Nadeshiko nodded, not looking at her girlfriend.
‘Arigatou Megumi-chan.. I’m sorry I’m disappointing you!’ Nadeshiko whispered, some tears falling down her cheeks.
‘Stop that Nadeshiko!’ Megumi said, raising her voice slightly. Nadeshiko looked up, shocked more then anything else.
She shrank away from the other girl, this was the first time Megumi had raised her voice to her.
Megumi smiled at her, pulling her closer whilst wiping her tears away, not breaking eye contact.
‘You’re not disappointing me! You could never disappoint me!’ Megumi said softly ‘But I thought..’ Nadeshiko whispered. Megumi smiled at the other girl before tightly hugging her.
‘Silly Nadeshiko-chan.. it takes time to tell your parents that you’re already in love with someone and that you’ve got a girlfriend. You take all the time you want!’ Megumi whispered.
Nadeshiko smiled, before burying her face into Megumi’s shoulder.
‘Arigatou Megumi-chan!’ Nadeshiko whispered, hugging the other girl tightly.
Sakura and Tomoyo looked on as Nadeshiko and Megumi kissed once more before slowly walking back to the blanket.
They smiled at each other. They were worried when they heard Megumi raise her voice to Nadeshiko, but it had just happened in the heat of the moment.
‘Are you ok Nadeshiko-chan?’ Tomoyo asked. ‘Hai! I fell a lot better!’ she replied, smiling brightly.
‘Is that since Megumi-chan came?’ Sakura asked. Nadeshiko nodded.
‘Good.. I always felt better when my best friend came to see me!’ Sakura said.
‘Now I always feel that way because my best friend is always with me!’ Nadeshiko and Tomoyo’s smile grew slightly.
‘And if your best friend is always with you I’m sure you’ll feel the same way!’ Nadeshiko and Megumi blushed.
‘I hope so too Sakura-san!’ Megumi said. Sakura smiled.
She was hopeful their little Nadeshiko would tell them about her and Megumi soon or she’d die of embarrassment when she told her that she and Tomoyo already knew about them.
-------
Authors notes.
This takes place shortly before The Woman is a girl again!
I wrote this one to explain what would happen if Sakura saw the person who caused her ininjuries in my last story!
I hope you enjoyed reading this!